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CC Sabathia falls to 0-5 as Yankees lose series in Toronto

CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch in the second inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 6, 2015 at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Photo Credit: Getty Images / Tom Szczerbowski

Sabathia, as has been the case in most of his starts this year, wasn't awful but made mistakes on too many critical pitches. The one he kicked himself over most was a 1-and-2 cutter to Ezequiel Carrera in the second inning. The No. 9 hitter sent it to right for a two-run single that gave the Blue Jays the lead for good at 2-1.

"It's two strikes to a lefty. There's no way I should give up a hit right there," said Sabathia, who allowed four runs and nine hits in 61/3 innings.

Although the trip ended in disappointment, it was still positive overall. The first-place Yankees (17-11), who went 4-2, start a four-game series against the Orioles Thursday night at the Stadium.

If anyone could understand Sabathia's "just good enough to lose" line, it was Toronto lefthander Mark Buehrle, who claimed his first victory over the Yankees in 11 years by allowing one run and six hits in five innings.

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Buehrle (4-2, 6.00) entered 1-14 with a 6.21 ERA against the Yankees, having beaten them April 10, 2004, at the Stadium while with the White Sox.

"Mark is a great competitor and he's been a great competitor for a long time," said Alex Rodriguez, who hit third in that 2004 game -- going 1-for-4 -- and went 1-for-3, batting third, Wednesday night.

Mark Teixeira drove in the Yankees' run with a first-inning fielder's choice, giving him a team-best 23 RBIs. He called Buehrle's lack of success against the Yankees "a statistical anomaly."

"That's a really good pitcher," Teixeira said of the 36-year-old, now 203-154. "He's been a good pitcher his entire career."

The Yankees went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven. Buehrle shut them down for four innings after the first before three relievers did the same.

"He made the big pitches when he needed to, kept us off balance," said Teixeira, who grounded to short with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth. "Mark competes. He got out of the jams tonight when he needed to."

The Blue Jays (14-15) got four hits from Chris Colabello, called up from Triple-A Tuesday, and three from Russell Martin for the second straight night. They added to their lead in the fourth. Martin led off with a liner off Sabathia's backside for a single. The 34-year-old lefthander retired Kevin Pillar on a fly ball and, with Colabello at the plate, balked Martin to second. It was Sabathia's first balk since 2013 and the 16th of his 15-season career.

"My fault," he said.

Colabello lined a 1-and-0 slider to center for a single that made it 3-1. Martin's seventh homer, on a fastball that cut back over the plate, made it 4-1 in the sixth.

"Today was one of those things they were making good contact and putting some swings on some pretty good pitches," Sabathia said. "That's just kind of me now."